1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the beater brush of a vacuum cleaner and more particularly to a beater brush with a bristle strip having a beater bar integrally formed with a support section for the bristle tufts wherein the beater bar abuts the bristle tufts to impart kinetic energy thereto.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Known vacuum cleaners typically include a beater brush having a dowel with bristle tufts disposed in one or more helical grooves formed in the periphery of the dowel. Various beater brush configurations are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,815,077; 1,815,084; 1,889,224; 3,737,937; 4,173,807; 4,307,479; and 4,429,430.
In order to impart kinetic energy to the bristle tufts to thereby increase the effectiveness of the vacuum cleaner, beater bars positioned in back of the bristle tufts at a slight distance therefrom have been employed as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,177,536 and 4,372,004. U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,004 further shows a bristle strip having an integrally formed bristle support section and a concamerated beater bar wherein the bristle strip includes a series of spaced holes disposed along the length of the bristle support section for receiving bristle tufts and a pair of outwardly extending shoulders for retaining the bristle strip in a helical groove formed about the periphery of the beater brush dowel. The distance between the bristle tufts and the beater bar is typically present due to manufacturing constraints. This distance, however, decreases the effectiveness of the beater bar to impart kinetic energy to the bristle tufts.